Posted on Dec 31, 2015
Why is it all the people that were whining around crying, "I didn't sign up for this" while on deployment are now claiming they Volunteered?
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I have noticed a giant change in military personnel and how they talk about deployment now that they are at a minimum. In 01 almost everyone wanted to go, by 04 there was a lot of "I didn't sign up for this," and by 05 it was f**k this I'm out. In 07 when I got out, troops were wore out, and deployment rumors caused AWOL en masse.
Today I hear a lot of "I volunteered for all of my deployments" and "Man, I am trying to get deployed" or "Your lucky, I wish I could get over there"
Why is the shift so dramatic?
Today I hear a lot of "I volunteered for all of my deployments" and "Man, I am trying to get deployed" or "Your lucky, I wish I could get over there"
Why is the shift so dramatic?
Posted in these groups: 
Warfare
Deployment
Warfare Deployment
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 38
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Years ago when I was a newly commissioned officer, a man from my church was very interested in my service and what I would be doing. He had served in the Air Force and at that time, he worked on an assembly line at Caterpillar. My mom said that for him, his military service was probably the most exciting thing he would ever do with his life and wanted to relive those memories. As I have now retired, I can fully understand what she meant. I think for many that deployed, it will be one of the most significant things they will do in their lives. So as much as it may have sucked then, it is now something to reflect back on. I think with time, the negative memories become less and the positive things grow. Even in 2004 after I returned from my first mobilization as are reserve officer, my civilian job did not seem to have the same importance. Attitudes and memories do change with time. So I don't think it is as much of a dramatic shift as you state but a matter of time.
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COL Vincent Stoneking
COL Jon Thompson absolutely spot on about the return to the civilian job. It just seemed so.... trivial and hard to take seriously. In my case, in a few years, I parlayed that into a move into management and a reputation for being calm and collected in crises. (Not that I ever saw one on the civilian side......)
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Interesting viewpoint. Being out during this whole war I only saw the first and last of your stages reported in the media. I saw plenty of the other attitudes in Viet Nam, but we did not have an all-volunteer force then.
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SPC Rory J. Mattheisen
I have seen reels from Nam, and I could feel the f**k this coming off the screen. Terror, Hatred, Disgust, and Darkness, I am amazed every time I see a Vietnam Vet alive. Between the War and the homecoming I don't know if my generation could live through what you guys did.
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Capt Seid Waddell
SPC Rory J. Mattheisen, the anti-war and anti-military media of the day distorts the view a great deal; the real thing was not that negative, and about half the country supported us and our mission.
That being said, there were many leaders in the community that opposed the war and who took it out on those of us that served, and more than a few draftees that came in with a bad attitude and joined with others that were like-minded and mutinous. When I was there officers and senior NCOs in I Corps were not allowed to ride in closed-top vehicles - they had to be able to get out quick if their men tossed a grenade in with them. There were also race riots in-country that shut bases down for a day or two.
However, this was mostly in the Army which had to take the bulk of the draftees. You can wash and shave a Hippie doper and put him in a uniform in the war zone, but that doesn't produce a soldier - it just makes an armed Hippie doper, which is not an improvement.
There were many of us that believed in the mission and were proud of our service when we came back, even if the left of the day behaved dishonorably towards us.
If I had to do it again I would do it in a heartbeat; the South Vietnamese people I knew were good people and deserved a chance to live free. It was the left in our country that betrayed them - and us. Just as they are doing now; a leopard cannot change its spots.
That being said, there were many leaders in the community that opposed the war and who took it out on those of us that served, and more than a few draftees that came in with a bad attitude and joined with others that were like-minded and mutinous. When I was there officers and senior NCOs in I Corps were not allowed to ride in closed-top vehicles - they had to be able to get out quick if their men tossed a grenade in with them. There were also race riots in-country that shut bases down for a day or two.
However, this was mostly in the Army which had to take the bulk of the draftees. You can wash and shave a Hippie doper and put him in a uniform in the war zone, but that doesn't produce a soldier - it just makes an armed Hippie doper, which is not an improvement.
There were many of us that believed in the mission and were proud of our service when we came back, even if the left of the day behaved dishonorably towards us.
If I had to do it again I would do it in a heartbeat; the South Vietnamese people I knew were good people and deserved a chance to live free. It was the left in our country that betrayed them - and us. Just as they are doing now; a leopard cannot change its spots.
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SPC Rory J. Mattheisen It is human nature to complain. I when the deployment pace was one year in the box and one year off, it was too much. So I get it. Now so few are actually getting deployed, I really won't tolerate it. I am heading back overseas for the third time in ten years, pretty reasonable considering we have been in a war the entire time. If you are going back to the box, good for you, try to make a difference for your unit and peers.
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Mine was always "When Uncle Sammy Calls, just tell me when, were and let's get moving. It was funny back in 03 when we were ramping up to go and all of a sudden, there were so many pregnancies, contentious objectors, and whatever excuse they could come up with to get out of deploying. It was always funny to hear "I didn't sign up for this...I just wanted the G.I.Bill." And like you, after the deployments were over, it was a totally different out look. Not all, but a lot came back with such a sense of entitlement because they did their job, that the world owes them everything.
I came back with the thought, that Thank God, I was able to fulfill my mission and get my team back to their families in one piece physically, as to mentally, that is another story. One that I still have issues with.
I think with some of the recruits now a days, you need to break out the Crayola's to make sure they understand what they are doing before they raise that right hand.
Half Nickel of the Day
I came back with the thought, that Thank God, I was able to fulfill my mission and get my team back to their families in one piece physically, as to mentally, that is another story. One that I still have issues with.
I think with some of the recruits now a days, you need to break out the Crayola's to make sure they understand what they are doing before they raise that right hand.
Half Nickel of the Day
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This newest generation has been raised in a climate of unadulterated "enable-ism." They've been bombarded with Reality TV that praises sub-par performance. They've witnessed a federal government become the Halls of Incompetence. They've joined a massive military organization that has, from the perspective of some other Western nations, lost its way and its dominant leadership role in the world, thanks to the occupant of the White House. I can think of several Command Sergeant Majors, Chief Master Sergeants, Master Gunneys, and senior Chief Petty Officers who could set these prima dona babies right in one day of doing things the old way, the right way. Changing the rules and regs of our military, eliminating the ages-old traditions of our services has only served to weaken our personnel in ways that were unforeseen, but should not have been unexpected. Change IS NOT always good.
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Perceptions change once you are away from danger in the comfort of home and you see the recognition that service members get so naturally desires for wanting that set in. The Al Bundy effect of leaving in his glory days.
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My thoughts are that the Shoulder Sleeve for Former Wartime Service (SSI-FWTS) aka, the "combat patch" marks those veterans as combat tested. Getting away from "who's the Fobbit versus the door-busters", all combat vets have a unique experience that I believe is seen as a badge of honor by those who have not deployed. I think we need this attitude, that means we are keeping the fire in our new blood and lets the enemy know, "anytime, anywhere".
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SGT Dennis Edwards
I have 2 tours and i wouldnt change them for anything in the world... Bonded with the best bunch of soldiers and that will stay with me for a lifetime
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I heard "I hope I don't get deployed" from people in BCT. Really? You enlisted while the country was at war. Idiots. I literally volunteered for my deployment. Only a couple people from my battery that went to Afghanistan were sent involuntarily.
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I think it depends some. There are many who never knew anything but the ARFORGEN cycle and now that it is winding down they realize that deployments were not as bad as they thought it was. In 04 there were still many in who joined the Army pre war and they never actually thought they would have to deploy. Thankfully a good number of them got out. Heck I remember when I was a young SPC hearing a SSG openly say that she did not join the Army to deploy. They are out there. But by and large the deployment life is much preferred to garrison life to those who have experienced both (at least from my personal experiences) and although being away from home sucked in many ways deployment was better.
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Based on the framing of the question? 1. Observation bias, unless you have hard stats behind these assessments its likely just what's noticeable while looking for it.Even if there were hard stats to it: 2. Seen and unseen: people who "didnt sign up for this" 04-07 are now out, people who enjoyed what they did stayed in and new people who didn't deploy now want to.
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COL Vincent Stoneking
Exactly what I had come to say. The "this is bullshit from planet bullshit!" people from 7-15 years ago have mostly retired or separated. After the drawdown, there will be a new crop for the next war.
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